Dildy to Northwestern

[FieldGoodie05]

Wow that is absolutely brutal for the staff. This is not great timing to make hires...

Make it 3 openings on the Coaching Staff because Coach Zimba who was director of Basketball operations has taken a new position as the Associate Director of Annual Giving.

Assistant coaches in the mid-major ranks get on and off the carousel frequently.  There just isn't enough money at this level AND Lottich is in his mid 30's.  Where's the advantage to waiting out his retirement as a VU assistant?

Not so concerned about this.  Dildy was on a pit stop regardless.  Rags was connected to other job(s) so cannot be entirely surprised.  We are extraordinarily fortunate to have a lifer like Gore, but the carousel will keep turning.

Hope one of the assistants is his lifelong friend that PO did a piece on.  Always good to have a buddy in your corner like him.  Not to mention he also seems to have ties to Chicago.  Though I think his wife had a nice job in Milwaukee at the time of the story, so who knows.

[VUGrad1314]

Townsend and Artis would be a home run.

[VU2014]

Townsend and Artis would be a home run.

Townsend would be a nice addition but he was Coach Lottich's first call when he was initially putting the staff together a few years ago and he had to pass because his wife (who is a lawyer I believe) landed a great new job in Milwaukee and he didn't want to uproot the family. I'm not sure things have changed since then. We had a opening after Coach Manuel left and he still remained with UWM even after the coaching change up there.

I'm assuming we'll hear the names pretty soon. It sounds like they knew this was coming and they may have the new coaches already.

[VUGrad1314]

Then why no announcement if they've already got them?

[M]

They had Dildy for a bit before announcing him...fiscal year wraps up in a week and a half. Maybe waiting on that?

[VUGrad1314]

I'm genuinely curious: why does the timing of the hiring in relation to the fiscal year matter?

[valpopal]

Townsend would be a nice addition but he was Coach Lottich's first call when he was initially putting the staff together a few years ago and he had to pass because his wife (who is a lawyer I believe) landed a great new job in Milwaukee and he didn't want to uproot the family. I'm not sure things have changed since then. We had a opening after Coach Manuel left and he still remained with UWM even after the coaching change up there.

I'm assuming we'll hear the names pretty soon. It sounds like they knew this was coming and they may have the new coaches already.

Don't count Townsend out.

[oklahomamick]

Ron Howard?  Didn't he just finish his playing career?  I know he has little to none coaching experience and may not even want to get into the business.  I think he would be good future coach.

Jared Nunness at Baylor? 

[M]

I don't know that thenfoscal year matters at all...just tossing a possible reason. Insurance maybe?

[VU2014]

I'm not sure if Jason Hawkins is looking to become college assistant but I'd put in a call and ask if he's interested in the job openings. He has college coaching experience and has a proven track record of developing players. The pay probably isn't as good as his current gig though. It's also a plus that he's an alum and could probably recruit the area pretty well.

[FieldGoodie05]

I'm not sure if Jason Hawkins is looking to become college assistant but I'd put in a call and ask if he's interested in the job openings. He has college coaching experience and has a proven track record of developing players. The pay probably isn't as good as his current gig though. It's also a plus that he's an alum and could probably recruit the area pretty well.

I'm not in on that hire.  At some point you have to have averaged more than 1.6 mpg your senior year to get my vote.

Certain this leaves me open to criticism, but just going to be frank.  I'm sure Brad Stevens didn't even play basketball or some crap like that.  But I'm not voting for Jason Hawkings to sure up the coaching carousel.

But Mickey is right, might be nice to consider at least one hire from within for stability purposes.  Thankful Coach Gore has been here for us through the highs and lows.

[IrishDawg]

I'm not in on that hire.  At some point you have to have averaged more than 1.6 mpg your senior year to get my vote.

Certain this leaves me open to criticism, but just going to be frank.  I'm sure Brad Stevens didn't even play basketball or some crap like that.  But I'm not voting for Jason Hawkings to sure up the coaching carousel.

But Mickey is right, might be nice to consider at least one hire from within for stability purposes.  Thankful Coach Gore has been here for us through the highs and lows.

Stevens played D3 at DePauw, and played less and less as his career went on.  Playing significantly at a D1 level (or whatever level someone's coaching) is pretty low in terms of qualifying a guy to be a head coach or an assistant.  Travis Steele, Xavier's current head coach didn't even play college basketball.  He coached AAU and was an assistant at Ben Davis while he was going to Butler.

Current Butler assistant Emerson Kampen barely played, while Brandon Crone was a mainstay on a Sweet 16 team, yet Kampen is an assistant who can recruit whereas Crone is a DOBO, so he can't coach or recruit.  Different skill sets are needed as a player, even in a leadership role vs. being any kind of coach.

[FieldGoodie05]

I'm not in on that hire.  At some point you have to have averaged more than 1.6 mpg your senior year to get my vote.

Certain this leaves me open to criticism, but just going to be frank.  I'm sure Brad Stevens didn't even play basketball or some crap like that.  But I'm not voting for Jason Hawkings to sure up the coaching carousel.

But Mickey is right, might be nice to consider at least one hire from within for stability purposes.  Thankful Coach Gore has been here for us through the highs and lows.

Stevens played D3 at DePauw, and played less and less as his career went on.  Playing significantly at a D1 level (or whatever level someone's coaching) is pretty low in terms of qualifying a guy to be a head coach or an assistant.  Travis Steele, Xavier's current head coach didn't even play college basketball.  He coached AAU and was an assistant at Ben Davis while he was going to Butler.

Current Butler assistant Emerson Kampen barely played, while Brandon Crone was a mainstay on a Sweet 16 team, yet Kampen is an assistant who can recruit whereas Crone is a DOBO, so he can't coach or recruit.  Different skill sets are needed as a player, even in a leadership role vs. being any kind of coach.

Suppose I'd change my tone if one of the open positions is filled by a guy with real playing chops and ties in our important markets.  If that is achieved we could do worse than Hawkins as the final assistant.

But we have a real void in playing chops on this assistant roster.  Maybe we didn't deserve Powell and Lottich as assistants, but that's my mental barometer for the type of assistant (one at least) that we drastically need right now.

[IndyValpo]

https://eiupanthers.com/coaches.aspx?rc=877&path=mbball

https://mobile.twitter.com/ilheat1974/status/1010717653097484288

This tweet may have identified a new assistant coach.

[M]

Yesterday was the VU elite camp...not sure I clicked the right thing but it just showed a picture of 4 kids after camp was over.

[valpopal]

I'm assuming we'll hear the names pretty soon. It sounds like they knew this was coming and they may have the new coaches already.

Yes, I've been told the new coaches have been selected and are already active to some degree. Assuming the information is correct, the two names I have been given look like very good choices. I believe official announcements should be forthcoming soon. 

[crusader05]

Looked like in the tweet that coach posted credited Holloway as if he was part of the one hosting the camp with Valpo, implying he's on our staff now.

[M]

Just reread that tweet and it does read that way. Could be....

[VU2014]

It sounds like the 2 new assistant coaches are Coach Todd Townsend and Coach Holloway! I'm not sure what Coach Townsend would be doing at Valpo's basketball camp, otherwise. I'm just reading the tea leaves.

https://twitter.com/BlakeLund2021/status/1010698512399589376
https://twitter.com/ReichenLund2022/status/1010703033288810496

[valpopal]

It sounds like the 2 new assistant coaches are Coach Todd Townsend and Coach Holloway! I'm not sure what Coach Townsend would be doing at Valpo's basketball camp, otherwise. I'm just reading the tea leaves.

Since you mention them now, I can say these are the two names I heard last week and was told were "already active," but I said I was waiting for "an official announcement." Also, this is why I posted on Friday "Don't Count Townsend Out." As I mentioned in a previous post: "Assuming the information is correct, the two names I have been given look like very good choices," especially since they have strong ties to three key recruiting areas: Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Louis. I hope we are correct.

[VU2014]

It sounds like the 2 new assistant coaches are Coach Todd Townsend and Coach Holloway! I'm not sure what Coach Townsend would be doing at Valpo's basketball camp, otherwise. I'm just reading the tea leaves.

Since you mention them now, I can say these are the two names I heard last week and was told were "already active," but I said I was waiting for "an official announcement." Also, this is why I posted on Friday "Don't Count Townsend Out." As I mentioned in a previous post: "Assuming the information is correct, the two names I have been given look like very good choices," especially since they have strong ties to three key recruiting areas: Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Louis. I hope we are correct.

I wonder if Coach Townsend was in the fold when we were recruiting Brock Stull. Coach Townsend has connections to Chicago obviously and Milwaukee. Coach Holloway I know coached at a small college in Chicago for a few year before heading to EIU. Does he have connections to St. Louis? Edit: Nvm, just saw he worked at University of Missouri-St. Louis for a season.

Coach Dildy was as connected as anyone to the CPL. Losing Coach Ragland is a slight blow to our Indiana & Ohio recruiting grounds. Coach Gore and Coach Lottich obviously have connections in Indiana recruiting. I wonder where we'll stand with recruits like Alex Hemenway now that Coach Ragland has left.

[VU2014]

It sounds like Coach Ragland is going to be headed out West to join the new Utah State coaching staff. That's a tremendous hire for them.

[valpotx]

Interesting move on his part.  I don't see Utah State as a step up.

[VU2014]

Interesting move on his part.  I don't see Utah State as a step up.

I don't either but he might have the chance to be a top assistant there and there also might be some upward mobility for promotion that wasn't here with Coach Lottich being a young HC and Coach Gore as the associate HC. Coach Ragland has never been afraid to job hop and get new types of experience. It's served him well in the past. I think he's not too far off from getting a position as a P5 assistant or getting hired as mid-major HC. He was one of the finalists for the Evansville job and I know they wanted him as their associate HC. I wish him and his family well. He certainly had an impact on our program in the short time he was here.

[EddieCabot]

Interesting move on his part.  I don't see Utah State as a step up.

USU is paying their new head coach $3.5m over five years, which seems pretty good for a mid-major.  This may have just been a move for more money.